A Fremont man has pleaded no contest to drunken driving causing death for last October's hit-and-run crash that killed an 11-year-old Amish girl and injured most of her family.

Mark Vandyke

Mark Vandyke, 48, of 10745 Maple Island pleaded as charged Monday afternoon to that count and being a second-time habitual offender.

Newaygo County 27th Circuit Judge Anthony A. Monton committed to cap Vandyke's minimum prison sentence at the midpoint of state sentencing guidelines, which is expected to mean a minimum of no more than about seven years. The maximum sentence is set by law at 15 years, but the judge could increase that to 22 1/2 years because of Vandyke's felony record.

Monton scheduled sentencing for 9:30 a.m. May 8.

A no-contest plea is not an admission of guilt, but judges treat it as a guilty plea at sentencing. It's allowed when a defendant faces possible civil liability, as in this case.
Kathryn Miller was one of six children riding in a buggy with their parents shortly after 9 p.m. Oct. 22. They were among about 100 area people who attended a Sunday evening dinner and hymn sing at the home of another Amish family.

The Millers were about a mile into the seven-mile buggy trip home, headed west toward Fremont on West 48th Street near Wisner Avenue in Garfield Township, in a line of several buggies when Vandyke's pickup crested a hill from behind and struck the buggy, state police said.

The crash destroyed the buggy, killed the horse and threw several members of the family to the ground. Two other sisters -- an infant and a 9-year-old -- were seriously injured, while three children in the family suffered scrapes. Their father, Levi Ray Miller, suffered a leg injury, while their mother, Amelia Miller, suffered scrapes.

Police said Vandyke fled the scene but crashed within a mile into a 1997 Plymouth station wagon carrying three people. No one was seriously injured in that accident.

For the complete story, return to Mlive.com on Tuesday, or pick up a copy of Tuesday's Muskegon Chronicle.